Maxime Carabin

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Maxime Carabin

| image =

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| nationality = Belgian

| sport = Paralympic athletics

| event = Sprints

|disability_class = T52

| club = RFC Liège

| coach = Claude Issorat

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2000|09|18|df=y}}

| birth_place = Liège, Belgium

| residence =

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| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's para-athletics }}

{{MedalCountry|{{BEL}}}}

}}

File:Paralympic_Game_Paris_2024_Men_s_100_m_T52_final_(4).jpg

Maxime Carabin (born 18 September 2000) is a Belgian wheelchair racer and para athlete from Liège. He is current Paralympic champion in the 100 metres and 400 metres in the T52 racing division and is also five-time world champion and world record holder in the men's 100,{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.be/fr/nouvelles/deux-nouveaux-records-du-monde-en-athl%C3%A9tisme-%C3%A0-duba%C3%AF |title = DEUX NOUVEAUX RECORDS DU MONDE EN ATHLÉTISME À DUBAÏ |date = 13 February 2024 |access-date = 21 May 2024 |language=French |publisher=www.paralympic.be}} 200{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.be/fr/nouvelles/le-sprinteur-en-fauteuil-maxime-carabin-bat-le-record-du-monde-du-200m |title = LE SPRINTEUR EN FAUTEUIL MAXIME CARABIN BAT LE RECORD DU MONDE DU 200M |date = 20 July 2022 |access-date = 21 May 2024 |language=French |publisher=www.paralympic.be}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.be/fr/nouvelles/nouveau-record-du-monde-pour-maxime-carabin-sur-200m |title = NOUVEAU RECORD DU MONDE POUR MAXIME CARABIN SUR 200M |date = 5 February 2024 |access-date = 22 May 2024 |language=French |publisher=www.paralympic.be}} and 400 metres{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.be/fr/nouvelles/maxime-carabin-est-champion-du-monde-sur-400m-%C3%A0-paris |title = MAXIME CARABIN EST CHAMPION DU MONDE SUR 400M À PARIS |date = 14 July 2023 |access-date = 21 May 2024 |language=French |publisher=www.paralympic.be}} sprint.

Personal history

Carabin was born in the city of Liège in 2000, and while playing a handball match in November 2019, suffered a freak accident, resulting in the loss of function of both his legs and hands. After attempting and rejecting hand-bike racing (too complicated) and para-swimming (too solitary), he took up wheelchair para-athletics and set his focus on the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lesoir.be/576299/article/2024-03-22/jeux-paralympiques-2024-maxime-carabin-les-roues-de-la-resilience|title = Jeux paralympiques 2024 : Maxime Carabin, les roues de la résilience|date = 22 March 2024 |access-date = 21 May 2024 |language=French |publisher=www.lesoir.be}}{{cite web |url=https://visemagazine.be/blog/2020/10/30/lex-handballeur-maxime-carabin-vise-les-j-o-de-2024/ |title=L'ex-handballeur Maxime CARABIN vise les J.O. de 2024 |access-date=21 May 2024 |date=30 October 2020 |language=french |publisher=www.visemagazine.be}}{{cite web |url=https://connaitrelawallonie.wallonie.be/fr/wallons-marquants/distinction-du-merite-wallon/merites-wallons/carabin-maxime |title=Carabin Maxime Étincelle (2023) |access-date=21 May 2024 |language=french}} Together with his entourage, in July 2023, he set up the non-profit "Wheeler Forever" with the stated goal of promoting and facilitating access to wheelchair para-athletics.{{cite web |url=https://www.sudinfo.be/id703893/article/2023-08-30/maxime-carabin-et-sa-famille-lancent-lasbl-wheeler-forever-destinee-au-sport-en |title=Maxime Carabin et sa famille lancent l'ASBL "Wheeler Forever" destinée au sport en chaise! |access-date=21 May 2024 |date=30 August 2023 |publisher=www.sudinfo.be |language=french}}

Athletics career

After being classified as a T52 athlete, Carabin appeared at his first major international competition when he represented Belgium at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Paris, France where he won the gold medal in both 100 and 400 metres sprints.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/paris-23-sunday-best-carabin-legnante-and-rodriguez |title=Paris 23: Sunday best for Carabin, Legnante and Rodriguez |publisher=www.paralympic.org |access-date=23 May 2024 |date=16 July 2023 }}

The following year at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan, Carabin went one better with a hat-trick of golds, doing a repeat in the 100 and 400 metres,{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-double-delight-blackwell-ekler-jong-and-xiaoyan |title=Kobe 2024: Double delight for Blackwell, Ekler, Jong and Xiaoyan |publisher=www.paralympic.org |access-date=21 May 2024 |date=21 May 2024 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-para-athletics-world-championships-hat-trick-golds-uzbekistan-16th-world-title-cockroft |title=Kobe 2024: Hat-trick of golds for Uzbekistan, 16th world title for Cockroft |publisher=www.paralympic.org |access-date=24 May 2024 |date=24 May 2024 }} adding a third by also winning the 1500 metres setting championship records in all three events.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/kobe-2024-china-lead-super-saturday-three-world-records-finish-top |title=Kobe 2024: China lead super Saturday with three world records to finish on top |publisher=www.paralympic.org |access-date=26 May 2024 |date=25 May 2024 }}

Carabin went on to take gold in both the men's 100 metres and 400 metres at the Paralympic Games in Paris.{{Cite web|title=Men's 100m - T52 Final - Para Athletics|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/para-athletics/men-s-100m---t52/fnl-000100--|access-date=1 October 2024|date=6 September 2024|website=Olympics.com}}{{Cite web|title=Men's 400m - T52 Final - Para Athletics|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/para-athletics/men-s-400m---t52/fnl-000100--|access-date=1 October 2024|date=30 August 2024|website=Olympics.com}}

Carabin broke Tomoki Sato's Paralympic record of 55.39 to win his 400 metres semi-final in a time of 54.48,{{Cite web|title=Men's 400m - T52 Round 1 - Para Athletics|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/para-athletics/men-s-400m---t52/rnd1--------|access-date=1 October 2024|date=30 August 2024|website=Olympics.com}} before clocking 55.10 seconds to take gold ahead of outgoing champion Sato in second, and fellow Japanese racer Tomoya Ito in third.{{Cite web|title=GOUD! Rolstoelsprinter Maxime Carabin maakt op magistrale wijze favorietenrol waar op de 400 meter - "Magnifiek" (GOLD! Wheelchair sprinter Maxime Carabin masterfully lives up to his role as favourite in the 400 meters - "Magnificent")|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/08/30/goud-rolstoelsprinter-maxime-carabin-maakt-op-magistrale-wijze-favorietenrol-waar-op-de-400-meter-magnifiek~1725014815483/|access-date=1 October 2024|date=30 August 2024|website=Sporza|lang=nl}}{{Cite web|title=Maxime Carabin maakt favorietenrol waar: rolstoelsprinter pakt paralympisch goud op de 400 meter (Maxime Carabin lives up to his role as favourite: wheelchair sprinter wins Paralympic gold in the 400 metres")|url=https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2024/08/30/finale-rolstoelsprint-paralympische-spelen/|access-date=1 October 2024|date=30 August 2024|website=VRT nws|lang=nl}}

A week later, Carabin won his 100 metres semi-final in 16.21 seconds, bettering Raymond Martin's Paralympic record from 2012 of 16.79,{{Cite web|title=Men's 100m - T52 Round 1 - Para Athletics|url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024-paralympics/results/para-athletics/men-s-100m---t52/rnd1--------|access-date=1 October 2024|date=6 September 2024|website=Olympics.com}}{{Cite web|title=Léa Bayekula triomfeert op de 400 meter, Carabin schiet in paralympisch record naar 100m-finale (Léa Bayekula triumphs in 400m, Carabin shoots into Paralympic record in 100m final)|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/09/04/lea-bayekula-triomfeert-op-de-400-meter-carabin-schiet-in-paralympisch-record-naar-100m-finale~1725455597726/|access-date=1 October 2024|date=6 September 2024|website=Sporza|lang=nl}} claiming his second title of the week by winning the final in 16.70 seconds, ahead of Britain's Marcus Perrineau-Daley and Sato.{{Cite web|title=Tweede keer GOUD voor Maxime Carabin! Hij schiet nu ook raak op de 100 meter: "Alles wat nog ontbrak, heb ik afgevinkt" (Second GOLD for Maxime Carabin! He now also hits the mark on the 100 meters: "I've ticked off everything that was still missing")|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/09/06/tweede-keer-goud-voor-maxime-carabin-hij-schiet-nu-ook-raak-op-de-100-meter-alles-wat-nog-ontbrak-heb-ik-afgevinkt~1725604280248/|access-date=1 October 2024|date=6 September 2024|website=Sporza|lang=nl}}{{Cite web|title=Belgische rolstoelsprinters schitteren op de 100 meter: Maxime Carabin knalt naar GOUD, Peter Genyn verovert ZILVER (Belgian wheelchair sprinters shine in the 100 metres: Maxime Carabin blasts to GOLD, Peter Genyn conquers SILVER)|url=https://sporza.be/nl/2024/09/05/belgische-rolstoelsprinters-schitteren-op-de-100-meter-maxime-carabin-knalt-naar-goud-peter-genyn-verovert-zilver~1725521782507/|access-date=1 October 2024|date=6 September 2024|website=Sporza|lang=nl}}

Awards

Belgian Paralympic Athlete of the Year (2023){{cite web |url=https://www.dhnet.be/sports/omnisports/running/2023/12/11/maxime-carabin-est-lathlete-paralympique-belge-de-lannee-une-grosse-motivation-et-reconnaissance-MBJ5ZKTKORDTHH76AEIOGZORAY/ |title=Maxime Carabin est l'athlète paralympique belge de l'année : "Une grosse motivation et reconnaissance" |publisher=www.dhnet.be |access-date=21 May 2024 |date=11 December 2023 }}